Pawn-shop owner gets conditional discharge in gun case

Syracuse, NY - The proprietor of a suburban pawn shop, identified by authorities as being linked to property stolen from cars in area high school parking lots, resolved charges in Onondaga County Court today.

Robert A. Brownell, 33, of Cicero, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced by Judge Anthony Aloi to a one-year conditional discharge.

Brownell originally pleaded guilty several years ago to a felony weapons-possession charge, but he was allowed to withdraw that plea and substitute the misdemeanor admission.

At the time of Brownell’s arrest in 2006, authorities said property stolen from cars in high school parking lots in eight Central New York counties had been traced to his Mattydale pawn shop.

Any charges pending against Brownell were satisfied by the resolution of the gun case, Aloi noted in court. Assistant District Attorney Shaun Chase said the resolution of the case had been delayed while Brownell was doing community service.